


Take The Money (And Run)

by BigBadLittleRed



Category: Misfits (TV 2009)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Famous Misfits, Fluff and Angst, Hurt/Comfort, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-06-19
Updated: 2019-06-19
Packaged: 2020-05-14 16:18:48
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,111
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19276945
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BigBadLittleRed/pseuds/BigBadLittleRed
Summary: In which Simon lets himself get dragged into fame with the rest of them, and the public ships our two favorite idiots.





	Take The Money (And Run)

**Author's Note:**

> ( Based off an ask I got that said "AU where Simon becomes famous with the rest of them, and the general public starts shipping Simon/Nathan." )

 

Simon knows what happens to people who are different, he knows the consequences from firsthand experience. People tended to be uncomfortable around those who were abnormal, and discomfort often brought about violence or avoidance. As a child, Simon had unnerved children and parents alike from just being himself. He stared excessively, stood too stiffly, and his facial expressions were a bit too few and far in between to be what one would consider normal. Social ostracization followed Simon from a young age, never quite fitting in like most would.

 

People bullied and ignored him simply for being autistic, so he knows that people knowing they have supernatural abilities is bound to end badly. Simon fears the possibility of being hunted down, dissected by curious governments, his anxiety predicted anything and everything. Being pushed into the public eye is like being placed under a microscope, or in Simon’s eyes, a magnifying glass that’s bound to set them afire. It seemed that he was the only one that comprehended that, and out of five he was the only one who refused the offer of the agent.

 

However, that didn’t stop anything, simply because he had already been exposed. His parents find out about his powers and kick him to the curb, which honestly, go figure. He stays with Nathan in his large hotel room and stands in the background while the others make a spectacle of themselves. Nothing bad has happened so far, but Simon is comfortable standing on the sidelines watching quietly. Things change because of one interview, one measly spot on a morning television show.

 

“Come on, you’re already here!” One of the hosts of the show is wheedling at him where he stands off to the side of the stage. She had come to talk to him the second she saw him; a few interviewers had tried to get him to participate before, but he never budged.

 

Luckily, despite their fame and his reluctance, the others hadn’t really thrown him to the side. He dragged his feet and offered only caution, but somehow, he was always in the background. He liked to hang behind the curtain, to sit and listen to the interview. Nathan always cracked jokes and said crazy things, there had already been two incidents where he cursed on live television and gotten in trouble. Despite the stress of everything, the entire thing was pretty entertaining.

 

“People are dying to hear from the fifth member of the ASBO Five, right Rich?” She turns her head, the other host approaches with a smile and some napkins tucked against the top of his suit.

 

“Every famous band or group have a mysterious stoic, I’m sure the fans will go wild for you.” He winks at Simon, who shrugs uncomfortably.

 

“Come on, Barry! Get the lead out of your trousers!” Nathan pipes up from the onstage couch, having turned around onto his knees at the sound of the conversations.

 

“I thought your name was-” The man frowns, pointing at Simon weakly.

 

“Simon,” He says immediately, the man flashes him another smile. “Simon Bellamy.”

 

“C’mon, Simon!” Kelly turns her head, smiling at him reassuringly.

 

“I-I don’t…” He shakes his head, takes a step back and tucks his arms uncomfortably to his sides.

 

“You can sit with your friends; we’ll ask a few questions and it’ll only take ten minutes!” The woman

 

“It’ll be a laugh, c’mon!” Nathan holds out a hand, reaching in his direction with an exaggerated grabbing motion as if he would be able to physically grab the guy standing ten feet away.

 

Simon hesitates for a moment, because there are a lot of things that could go wrong here. What if there’s an uprising of people with powers and it turns into a war and people with powers are imprisoned or executed? What if it’s like in the comic books and they’re tracked down and experimented on like monsters? What if this didn’t last, and there were only more bad things around the corner? He’s ridden with anxiety, but everyone’s looking at him and Nathan’s got that stupid look in his eyes that Simon hates.

 

Recently it seemed like Nathan actually gave a shit what Simon did and said to some degree. He knows Nathan doesn’t really care all that much for most people, but he cares about Kelly and it seems like he has grown fonder of Simon. The feeling is mutual of course, because sometimes Nathan coaxed him into doing something and Simon folded merely to see the pleased smile on his face. Maybe that meant something, but he didn’t want to think about that right now.

 

He grudgingly takes a step forward, then another one, Nathan and Kelly cheering happily while Curtis and Alisha offer him pleased smiles. Nathan squishes himself against the arm of the couch and Kelly scoots closer to Alisha, leaving a place just for him. He sinks down and Nathan throws an arm behind his shoulders along the back of the couch, one of his legs knocking into Simon’s as he spreads them. Simon sits straight, unable to lean back and relax like the others.

 

There are three big lights shining down on them, and there’s a lot of talking and people moving around. Simon focuses on the table in front of him that has a vase with some fake flowers in it. Curtis, Alisha, and Kelly are talking, and Nathan’s squirming around and turning his head this way and that to follow the movement of the room. His left knee hitches up onto Simon’s right thigh, allowing him to stretch out further. Simon tries to ignore it, simply because Nathan didn’t quite comprehend personal space. It was a bit odd, and sometimes his lack of personal boundaries worried him. Then again Simon often had more personal boundaries than a normal person and maybe his anxiety was just overreaction.

 

“Mic and makeup over here!” Someone with a clipboard and a pen behind their ear calls before disappearing behind the camera.

 

 They hook a microphone through his shirt, and he’s not happy with having to untuck his shirt to slide it from his collar and down beneath his shirt. The wire is cold against his warm skin, and the powder applied to his face is a little itchy and makes his face feel stiff. Nathan must notice his discomfort, because as soon as the tech and the makeup artist step away, the knee crooked over his thigh turns into a leg across his lap. Simon raises his hands up off his lap, trying to keep from touching, glancing over at Nathan.

 

“Unclench, Barry, it’ll be fine.” Nathan flashes him a carefree smile.

 

“What if-”

 

“Nothing’s gonna happen, and if it does, we’ll fix it!” Nathan knocks the tip of his converse into Simon’s elbow. He lowers his arms onto Nathan’s leg, the other doesn’t protest or pull back.

 

He wishes he could be as easygoing at Nathan, to be able to dismiss anything with a wave of his hand. He figures it’s good enough to have someone like Nathan around, simply because sometimes his lack of giving a shit calmed Simon down a bit. Sure, sometimes it stressed him out and ramped up his anxiety, but this time it made him relax a fraction. They would fix it, together, the lot of them. That felt good, although he didn’t appreciate the fame, he could appreciate that they are a team.

 

“All right, everyone, fifteen seconds!” Someone calls, the two show hosts come to sit in the chairs next to the couch.

 

The cameras are moving, people are rushing around, Simon reaches up and pushes at his hair. He turns his eyes to the left, Kelly is smiling, and Alisha is saying something under her breath to Curtis, who snorts. He looks back to his right, Nathan crosses his eyes at him and scrunches up his nose, Simon smirks fondly. What a twat.

 

“Live in five!” A man shouts, Simon turns his eyes to the cameras and then over to the hosts as they get situated. “Four, three, two…”

 

“Good morning, UK!” Rich smiles brightly. “I’m Richard Collins!” He introduces himself.

 

“And I’m Rebecca Edwards!” The woman chimes in, her smile just as mildly unnerving as her coworker’s. “And this is…”

 

“UK Today!” They both cheer happily.

 

“Today, we’re here with none other than the ASBO Five, a group of young adults who were inflicted with amazing powers.” Rich says, gesturing over to them, they both look from the cameras and over to the group. “It’s great to have you!” He smiles.

 

“Great to be here.” Curtis says easily, used to publicity of some degree.

 

“I believe this is the first time someone has had an interview with all five of you, correct?” Rebecca questions, she looks to Simon, who nods his head.

 

“Simon’s not a fan of the spotlight.” Alisha says with a gentle chuckle.

 

“Tell us, Simon, we’ve heard about the other’s powers. What exactly is yours?” Richard questions.

 

“Um…” He glances down and away, nervously grasping his hands together over Nathan’s leg. “W-Well I…” He looks to the cameras briefly and has the urge to show them just what his power is. “I-I can turn invisible.” He says.

 

“That’s fantastic!” Rebecca’s eyes are wide, she smiles brightly.

 

“That’s the reason we haven’t had him on yet, Barry gets in front of a camera and disappears.” Nathan jokes, earning laughs from the others as Simon smiles hesitantly.

 

“I noticed that earlier, you call Simon ‘Barry’, what’s that about?” Richard inquires curiously.

 

“It’s just a nickname I suppose,” Nathan explains with a small shrug and one of his patented over exaggerated expressions, his mouth stretching into a frown.

 

“H-He forgot my name a few days after we first met.” Simon speaks up, Nathan yanks his leg off Simon’s lap and leans back.

 

“I’m not good with names!” He defends. “Besides, now I get to call you something nobody else does.” He nudges his arm into Simon’s.

 

“Because it’s not my name.” Simon quips, not angry but a bit amused to watch Nathan shoot him an exasperated look.

 

“Don’t get these two started.” Kelly says with a small eye roll.

 

“So we know Curtis and Alisha are dating, some people theorize that there might be some other unseen romances going on behind closed doors.” Rebecca says with an insinuating smirk. “There’s a bit of an online poll going on, wondering if Kelly might be involved with Simon or Nathan. What do you have to say about that?” She questions.

 

“It’d be like getting with my brother or my cousin.” Kelly shakes her head, making a bit of a face. “Nathan and I tried it but it never worked out, they’re my mates.” She reaches out, her hand passes over the back of Simon’s head briefly, before reaching over his shoulders to ruffle Nathan’s hair.

 

“Oi, watch the hair!” Nathan whines.

 

“Well, that’s too bad.” Rebecca says, looking between all of them. “Any other action happening in your lives?”

 

“Nah, not really.” Kelly shakes her head.

 

“What about you, boys?” Richard asks.

 

“I’m a bit of a free spirit, Rich.” Nathan says, before Simon can even think of a response. “I do what I want with who I want whenever I want.” He then wraps an arm around Simon’s shoulders.

 

Simon sort of zones out after that, and the questions must cease for him because nobody really tries to gain his attention. Nathan moves around next to him, moving closer and farther away but never quite managing to stop touching him in the process. It’s a calming presence, somehow, all that chaotic energy enough to keep him slightly in the present. He focuses on the table in front of them and can hear the muffle of other voices.

 

He’s not sure where his mind goes, although briefly he’s caught thinking about how Nathan probably has ADHD with all of his restless movements. What follows is a racetrack of streams of consciousness, ideas and thoughts and concepts that all whirl around in his head. He’s thinking about if his parents might be watching, his little sister, if any of his schoolmates were watching with jealousy. Then it’s onto what he’s going to do if his parents aren’t going to let him come home. He’d have to get a job, and then find a place to stay.

 

Nathan is letting him bunk with him, but he doubted it would be too long before he got tired of Simon. A hand smacks him on the back and he glances up for a moment, noticing the hosts are smiling with amusement and he forces his own lips into a mimicry of that. He looks back down, feels a little nauseous under all these lights and sounds. He could remember as a child, how a lot of stimuli sent him into strange states. His brain trying its best to deal with too much, he eventually found himself growing dazed and mildly confused.

 

“Barry?” He blinks and tips his head up once more, feeling a bit disoriented.

 

Both hosts are out of their seats, across the room talking with someone. Curtis and Alisha are standing nearby, Kelly is on the couch next to him. Nathan is seated on the table in front of Simon, something akin to concern in his gaze. However, as soon as Simon meets his eyes, he returns to that usual cheeky smile. He reaches out and grabs Simon’s shoulder, shaking him a little too roughly.

 

“Let’s go back to the hotel before all these lights give your pale arse a sunburn.” He gets up, doing a less than graceful twirl and starting off towards a nearby exit.

 

“You a’right, mate?” Kelly asks as Simon slowly stands up. “You don’t have to do all of this again.” She offers.

 

“It’s fine,” He mutters, crossing his arms and sighing quietly, he turns away and heads off after Nathan.

 

-

 

It’s just a little over a week later and they’re sitting at a table in front of quite the crowd. Simon hates the concept of a bunch of people staring at him, listening to him, like they’re waiting for him to make a fool of himself. He almost hadn’t agreed, but then Nathan had done that ridiculous thing where his bottom lip juts out and he paws at Simon like a needy puppy. It’s beyond Simon how he became so easily manipulated by the young man, to the point where he’d be willing to sit in front of a thousand people and be pretty much the main center of attention.

 

Someone asks them a few questions, and Simon thankfully escapes being asked anything at first. For a moment, he thinks he might have pulled off being unnoticed for the most part. There’s a girl in the crowd that shouts out that she loves Curtis, and the young man waves with a grin. It’s strange, unnerving, when someone else shouts out Simon’s name.

 

He can barely tell the general direction it came from, but he awkwardly lifts a hand and waves towards the noise. There are a few shrieks and excited chatter erupts across the crowd. Simon blushes and ducks his head, only turning his head when Nathan leans up next to him from his seat at his side. His arm rests on Simon’s back, his lips brush Simon’s ear.

 

“Loads of women have fetishes for the weird ones,” He hisses, Simon shakes his head and tries to gently push at him. “I’m serious, mate, you’ll clean up!” He grins.

 

“My question’s for Simon,” A girl says shakily into the microphone, earning both his and Nathan’s attention. “Are you and Nathan close?” She questions.

 

“Uh…” The question’s an odd one, he frowns down at the microphone for a second. “We’re currently living together, so yes, I suppose.” He murmurs. There are a few catcalls and hollers in response, someone whistles in the crowd. Nathan leans into Simon and ruffles his hair, messing it up and irritating Simon in the process.

 

“Barry’s a bit of a twat,” Nathan says.

 

“So are you.” Kelly quips, pulling laughter from the crowd.

 

“Yeah, and that’s why we work so well together, right Barry?” Nathan reaches over and takes his hand, giving him an overdramatic loving look.

 

A bunch of girls shriek, and Simon yanks his hand away with a small smile. Nathan looks rather proud of himself in that moment, grinning ear to ear and waving when a girl shouts at him. He wraps an arm around Simon and keeps it there for most of the rest of the panel, occasionally using that hand to smack Simon in the cheek.

 

Twat.

 

-

 

The happiness of being famous is short-lived, because a young man with the ability to manipulate dairy products loses it and starts murdering everyone. It’s a big and complicated mess, filled with panic and shouting and a lot of disgusting uses of cheese. It all ends in a huge conflict in the hotel, with Simon walking in on a terrifying scene.

 

Nathan had called him, terrified and babbling because someone had texted him using Kelly’s phone saying that if he ever wanted to see Kelly again to come down to the hotel. Simon had told him to stay put, but knowing Nathan, he never listened to a damn thing Simon ever said. He called up Curtis, Nikki, and Alisha. Alisha was last seen with Kelly, and she wasn’t answering her phone, so likely they were together.

 

Simon had stormed the building with fury in his bones, something akin to the feeling of confronting Sally after he found out she was using him. This was someone trying to take away something that belonged to him, and sure he is a bit possessive of his friends and has a tendency to get dark but fuck it. If he has to kill the little prick for hurting his friends, then so be it, he’ll just be crowned a hero anyways.

 

But when he storms into the room, it feels like the air has been yanked from his lungs. Kelly and Alisha are tied up together on the bed, Nikki is beating the shit out of milk boy. He’d be impressed if he wasn’t distracted by what’s going on nearby. Nathan is laid out on the floor, convulsing violently and foaming at the mouth.

 

“Nathan!” He hurries over, sliding a shaking hand under the young man’s neck and trying to keep him from hurting himself.

 

He’s suddenly filled with an intense fear, something primal and instinct, at the thought of losing Nathan. Sure, he could get stabbed or shot or beaten and come back, but what if this time was different? He’s never seen Nathan like this, his body taut and jerking, only the whites of his eyes visible and gasping noises escaping him every other grunt. What the fuck had Brian done to him?

 

Nikki is moving about the room, untying Kelly and Alisha. Simon is busy cradling Nathan, just now realizing that losing him will hurt more than it had losing Sally. She had been an infatuation, someone he adored because she showed him attention. Nathan is his best mate, if he loses him now then he’ll never be the same.

 

“What the fuck happened?!” Curtis exclaims when he rushes into the room, Simon looks up at him with tear-filled eyes.

 

“C-Call for help,” He pleads.

 

“He can’t die, Simon.” Alisha says, hovering nearby next to the bed. Kelly slides off the mattress as soon as Nikki finishes untying her, putting a hand on Nathan’s shoulder and pushing him onto his side.

 

“He might could still get brain damage,” Kelly snaps, grabbing Simon’s hands and placing one on Nathan’s shoulder and the other under his cheek. “Keep him on his side, don’t hold him down, okay?” She says, Simon nods and a tear slips down his cheek.

 

“I’ll call an ambulance,” Nikki says, already pulling out her phone.

 

“Let’s go downstairs, we’ll send them up as soon as they get here.” Kelly insists, hurrying out of the room with Alisha and Curtis behind her.

 

“Nathan?” Simon murmurs, blinking more tears from his eyes and sending them dripping onto his face in the process.

 

He can hear Nikki talking calmly to the operator on the line, explaining the circumstances, but all he can see is how Nathan’s body is so tense. Blood is dripping from the corner of his mouth, and Simon wonders if he’s bitten his tongue or if he’s bleeding internally. Slowly, his movements begin to stop, and then he’s limp and slightly twitching. The only sound is Simon’s sniffles and the labored breaths escaping from Nathan’s ajar mouth.

 

“Ambulance is on its way,” Nikki sits down on the bed, looking between Simon and Nathan.

 

“I-I can’t… lose him.” Simon mumbles, shaking his head weakly.

 

“Maybe you should tell him that when he wakes up,” She says, seeming sincere. “Just a suggestion, he’s a twat and all, but he’s your twat, yeah?” She asks.

 

“Yeah, y-yeah he’s mine…” His voice trembles when he speaks, but he doesn’t care. Nathan’s eyes are rolling about under his half-open eyelids, and his bottom lip is twitching a bit.

 

He reaches one hand down and takes hold of Nathan’s, squeezing it gently. He doesn’t ever want to let go, and he feels stupid for not realizing it sooner.

 

-

 

Simon sits by Nathan’s bedside after they fixed the bleed in Nathan’s brain, caused by a severe clot that burst. They call it a stroke like it’s nothing, call it a hemorrhage like Simon hadn’t held watched Nathan convulse and twitch until he bit into his tongue and pissed his pants. He can’t stand to watch Nathan’s mother coo and fuss over him, not barely sparing Simon a glance. They don’t really talk all that much, but she doesn’t ask him to leave and he doesn’t make to.

 

There are fans outside of the hospital, according to Kelly, who hands him a picture that one of them had asked her to give to Simon. It’s a drawing, cartoony in origin but decently detailed. Simon is standing with overexaggerated blushing cheeks, Nathan with an arm around him and lips pressed to Simon’s temple. There are hearts drawn in the background, red and pink in color. For a moment he’s shocked, because the thought of someone drawing art of him and Nathan is absurd. Then he realizes he wants this to be real, he wants to have this.

 

There’s a note on the back, Kelly informs him, so he turns it over.

 

_We’re rooting for Nathan, stay strong._

 

“Apparently, a whole lot of them think the two of you are shagging.” Kelly says to him with a bit of humor, Simon looks up at her with a bit of awe. “Call you Nimon or something.” She scoffs.

 

“Oh,” He looks back to Nathan, with the sides of his head shaved and a cannula in. He’s covered in wires and tubes, but Simon can’t help and think how handsome he is.

 

“He’s been over the moon for you for a while now.” Kelly confesses.

 

“R-Really?” He looks back to Kelly, eyes wide.

 

“Yeah, everyone’s noticed ‘cept you.” She smirks, shaking her head. “Just tell him, mate.”

 

“O-Okay.” He agrees, and she walks out.

 

-

 

Nathan wakes up, mumbles tiredly for a few minutes with his mother, and then looks to Simon as she leaves the room to find a doctor. His eyes are partially shut, his voice a soft rasp, but he smiles slightly when he lays eyes on Simon.

 

“Barry,” He croaks.

 

“I-I love you.” Simon blurts, Nathan blinks and his eyes open a little wider.

 

“Whassat?” He asks with a bit of a squint, and Simon tells himself he can take it back now. Instead, he reaches out and takes Nathan’s hand in his own, squeezing it anxiously.

 

“I… I love you, and I don’t want to lose you.” He says, exhaling nervously.

 

“No shit?” Nathan mumbles, Simon nods, teary-eyed. “Don’t cry, man, that’s so pussy.” He pulls his hand from Simon’s weakly, and for a moment he feels rejection curl into his stomach. “C’mere, you sappy bastard.” He holds out those needy grabby hands, and Simon shifts forward onto his feet.

 

He lets Nathan pull him onto the mattress, Simon leaning over him to let Nathan hug him weakly. It’s pathetic, Simon sniveling into his hospital gown and Nathan barely able to hug him right with all the tubes and wires in the way. But Nathan turns his head and kisses Simon’s head, and he thinks of the picture tucked away in his satchel nearby.

 

Maybe being famous wasn’t so bad, after all.


End file.
